For families and caregivers in San Jose

IHSS San Jose: the West Julian Street office, phone, $20.44 pay and how to apply

By the CaregiverConnect team · Updated 2026-10-16 · Sources checked on the same date and listed at the end.

For a San Jose household, In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) is close at hand: the county program works out of 353 W. Julian St. in the 95110 ZIP code, and the caregiver group orientations run by the Public Authority take place on East Brokaw Road, also inside the city. This page sticks to what a San Jose family or caregiver needs on the ground: which office to call or visit, when it is open, where new providers sit their orientation and get fingerprinted, which VTA buses stop near each address, and where older residents can find help in their own neighborhood. The county-wide rules are in our IHSS Santa Clara County guide. We read every fact below on October 16, 2026.

A woman and an older man talking across a wooden table at home

Where San Jose residents go for IHSS: 353 W. Julian St.

The County of Santa Clara Social Services Agency lists one In-Home Supportive Services address on its program page, and it is in San Jose:

Item	Details from the county IHSS page
Address	353 W. Julian St., San Jose, CA 95110
Hours	Weekdays 8:00 am-5:00 pm; closed weekends
Phone	(408) 792-1600
Fax	(408) 792-1601 on the program page; the application page also gives (408) 792-1837
Email	IHSS.SCC@ssa.sccgov.org
Mail for applications	IHSS, P.O. Box 11018, San Jose, CA 95103-1018

The county does not split IHSS by ZIP code or district on the pages we read, so the same office handles every one of the San Jose ZIP codes on our city page, from 95110 downtown to 95148. It is the office that takes applications, assigns the social worker who visits, sets the monthly hours and handles provider payroll. Caregiver enrollment is a separate desk run by the Public Authority, covered further down.

To qualify, the county requires Medi-Cal, a home in Santa Clara County, and blindness, a disability or an age of at least 65; fully eligible residents pay nothing. IHSS does not help with housing; the county sends those questions to the Housing Authority of Santa Clara.

Applying for IHSS from a San Jose address

Most San Jose families never need to stand at the Julian Street counter. The county's apply page accepts the IHSS application (the state form SOC 295) by email, fax, mail or in person, and the phone line above can start the process. Before you call, have ready the applicant's Medi-Cal and Social Security numbers, birth date and contact details, plus those of any spouse, guardian or contact person.

In short, the county's sequence is: send the application, have a doctor complete and sign the Health Care Certification (SOC 873), receive a social worker at home, then get a Notice of Action listing approved tasks and monthly hours. After approval you hire one or more providers, link them to your case in the Electronic Services Portal and approve their timesheets twice a month. Each of those steps is explained in the county guide, so we do not repeat them here.

No Medi-Cal yet? The county links its Medi-Cal application from the IHSS page; start that first, because IHSS eligibility depends on it.

Other options the county names. Under community resources on the same apply page, the county lists two PACE programs: On Lok, which it describes as a full-service healthcare program for older adults, and WelbeHealth, which it says helps seniors be well at home.

Where San Jose caregivers enroll: Brokaw Road orientation and Live Scan

Every new IHSS provider in the county, relatives included, enrolls through Public Authority Services by Sourcewise (general line (408) 350-3206, enrollment line (408) 350-3252). Two of its steps happen at a physical address, and both are in San Jose.

Group orientation. The required group sessions meet in the union hall of SEIU 2015 at 97 E. Brokaw Rd., 2nd Floor, Suite 230, San Jose, CA 95112. You can walk in without booking, but come early: latecomers of 10 minutes or more are asked to return for a later session. Allow up to two hours and bring a pen. The schedule posted on October 16, 2026 listed:

Tuesday, October 20, 2026, at 9:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m.
Friday, October 30, 2026, at 9:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.
Friday, November 6, 2026, at 9:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.

There were no sessions on October 16 or October 23. Presentations are mostly in English; you may bring one person to interpret, and materials come in English, Chinese or Spanish. Keep the Purple Form you are handed, because the next appointment needs it.

The in-person appointment. The Public Authority does not publish this address; it is shown on its online Enrollment Center when you book. Bring the actual Social Security card (no copies) and an unexpired U.S. government photo ID. The Public Authority warns that the wait for this slot can run four to six weeks, so pick a date later than your orientation.

Fingerprinting in San Jose. With the IHSS Live Scan form you receive at that appointment, the Public Authority puts the cost at $12 to $30 in the county. Its own vendor list (dated May 2025) includes two San Jose sites; call ahead, as the list itself advises:

AccuScan Solutions, 2528 Qume Dr., Ste 4, San Jose, CA 95131, (510) 680-3555, walk-in, $20.
Bay Area Solutions, 2100 S. Bascom Ave., Suite 1, San Jose, CA 95128, (408) 377-7446, appointment may be needed, $20.

Any other vendor on the Attorney General's list may also be used. Fingerprints taken earlier for another job are not accepted.

IHSS pay in San Jose: $20.44 an hour

IHSS wages follow the county where the recipient lives. For anyone caring for a recipient in Santa Clara County, San Jose included, the state's wage workbook (sheet "IP Effective 10-1-2026") shows $20.44 an hour, effective January 1, 2026.

Hourly floor in San Jose	Rate	Source
IHSS provider wage, Santa Clara County	$20.44	CDSS wage workbook
City of San Jose minimum wage from January 1, 2026	$18.45	City of San Jose
State minimum wage, 2026	$16.90	California DIR

The IHSS rate sits $1.99 above the city minimum (our subtraction, for illustration). The city figure matters when a family also hires privately, because work done inside San Jose city limits must be paid at least $18.45. Overtime, the 66-hour weekly cap and sick leave are the same across the county and are set out in the county guide; the statewide pay table compares other counties.

VTA buses and light rail to the IHSS office and the orientation site

We checked VTA's own schedule data (its published GTFS feed, valid through October 25, 2026) for stops near each address.

To 353 W. Julian St. No VTA stop sits on that block. The closest stops are on Santa Clara Street at Almaden Boulevard and at Delmas Avenue, roughly 430 to 500 meters from the office by straight-line distance (our measurement from VTA's stop coordinates and the Census geocode of the address). The Almaden Boulevard stops are served by routes 22, 64A, 64B and 68 and by Rapid 500, Rapid 522 and Rapid 568; the Delmas Avenue stops by 22, 64A, 64B and 68.

To the orientation at 97 E. Brokaw Rd. Route 60 (Milpitas BART to Winchester Station via the airport) stops at Brokaw & Bering, about 190 meters away by the same measure. Karina light rail station, on the Blue and Green lines, is about 330 meters away.

If buses are not an option. VTA ACCESS is the county's ADA paratransit service for people whose disability keeps them from using regular buses and light rail. Eligibility is based on functional ability, not age, and starts with a one-page Data Card and a phone interview; request a card by mail on (408) 321-2381. VTA prices a standard ACCESS trip at $4 and a premium-area trip at $16.

Senior centers, caregiver support and abuse reporting in San Jose

City community centers. San Jose's Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Services department runs a Senior Nutrition Program with TRIO Community Meals at 14 sites, serving lunch to residents aged 60 and up, with a $5 suggested contribution (a $15 fee under 60). You need a yellow nutrition card from your participating center. A few of the sites, with the services the city lists there:

Alma Community Center, 136 W. Alma Ave., 95110, 408-275-1315: health screenings and Senior Adult Legal Assistance (SALA).
Jacinto Siquig Northside Community Center, 488 N. 6th St., 95112, 408-293-0422: lunch Sunday to Thursday.
Roosevelt Community Center, 901 E. Santa Clara St., 95116, 408-794-7555: lunch Monday to Saturday, behavioral health groups and SALA.
Mayfair Community Center, 2039 Kammerer Ave., 95116, 408-794-1060: SALA and senior advisory services.
Southside Community Center, 5585 Cottle Rd., 95123, 408-629-3336.

Membership in the city's Older Adults 50+ program is free, and 2027 memberships opened on October 7, 2026. Questions go to OlderAdultsProgram@sanjoseca.gov.

Area Agency on Aging. The California Department of Aging lists Sourcewise as the county's agency, on (408) 350-3200, offering family caregiver services, meals and information and referral.

Long-term care ombudsman. The state lists the Catholic Charities ombudsman program at the John XXIII Multi-Services Center, 195 E. San Fernando St., San Jose, (408) 944-0567.

Caregiver Resource Center. Family Caregiver Alliance runs the Bay Area Caregiver Resource Center, which serves Santa Clara County caregivers of adults living with brain impairments such as dementia, stroke or Parkinson's disease: (800) 445-8106.

Abuse reports. Santa Clara County's two elder abuse lines, (408) 975-4900 and (800) 414-2002, are staffed around the clock for reports about older or dependent adults.

Hiring privately in San Jose when IHSS hours fall short

A Notice of Action covers set tasks for set hours. Evenings, weekend cover or respite for a family member who already holds the IHSS provider role fall outside it and become private work, paid by the household at no less than the $18.45 San Jose minimum for work done inside the city.

On CaregiverConnect a family can post those hours without paying, and caregivers send their own applications. The family chooses, hires directly and becomes the employer, and we take no commission from either side. Screening is up to you: we run no background checks, though caregivers can attach evidence of a check they paid for. Families can add premium features if they want them. Browse caregiver jobs in San Jose or caregivers in San Jose, and compare private rates using our California home care cost breakdown.

Frequently asked questions

What is the address of the IHSS office in San Jose?

At 353 W. Julian St., San Jose, CA 95110, open Monday to Friday from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm. It is the only IHSS address the county lists, so it serves every city in Santa Clara County.

What phone line handles IHSS in San Jose?

(408) 792-1600, or email IHSS.SCC@ssa.sccgov.org. For caregiver enrollment, call Public Authority Services on (408) 350-3252.

Where is the IHSS provider orientation in San Jose?

In the SEIU 2015 union hall, 97 E. Brokaw Rd., 2nd Floor, Suite 230. No appointment is needed; the October 2026 schedule listed sessions on October 20 and October 30, and more on November 6.

How much does IHSS pay in San Jose?

Santa Clara County's rate, $20.44 an hour, has applied since January 1, 2026. It is above the City of San Jose minimum wage of $18.45.

Which VTA bus goes to the IHSS office on Julian Street?

The nearest stops in VTA's schedule data are on Santa Clara Street at Almaden Boulevard (routes 22, 64A, 64B, 68 and Rapid 500, 522 and 568) and at Delmas Avenue, a few hundred meters from the office.

Which Live Scan sites in San Jose does the Public Authority list?

The Public Authority's list includes AccuScan Solutions on Qume Drive and Bay Area Solutions on South Bascom Avenue, both $20. Use the IHSS Live Scan form from your enrollment appointment.

Sources

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